Dassault Systèmes and the Munich-based startup VÆRIDION are jointly setting new standards in electric passenger aviation. As part of the 3DEXPERIENCE for Startups program, VÆRIDION uses the cloud-based solutions on Dassault Systèmes‘3DEXPERIENCE platform to accelerate the development of an innovative electric aircraft with nine seats. The special feature: the batteries are located in the wings of the aircraft, which looks like a glider.
The use of Dassault Systèmes‘3DEXPERIENCE platform helps VÆRIDION to develop the so-called microliner efficiently and to certify components faster. The startup’s goal is to enable CO2-free short-haul flights and offer business travellers and commuters in particular a sustainable and time-saving way of travelling. The startup is currently in the development and testing phase of its components. The first demonstrator is to be built by 2026.
Digital consistency with ‘Reinvent the Sky’
During the development of the aircraft, the cloud-based ‘Reinvent the Sky’ industry solution from Dassault Systèmes, which is specially designed for aviation startups, is used on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The digital consistency of the solutions allows the designers to access all the data and documents relevant to the development process anytime and anywhere. Particularly in aviation, strict conditions apply in the certification process. This makes it all the more important to be able to prove the production organisation in detail and without great effort. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform simplifies the certification of the entire production process by capturing and documenting all the processes end-to-end.
Optimizing battery usage and performance simulation for the microliner
Dassault Systèmes‘solutions help to better assess the special requirements of an electric aircraft in terms of battery usage. Unlike other vehicles, the challenge is to test the balance between peak performance when the machine takes off and the more power-efficient “cruise” phase of flight. Challenges such as distributing the high dead weight of the batteries across the wings can also be simulated in various scenarios and thus effectively addressed.
The partnership between Dassault Systèmes and VÆRIDION started in the Sustainable Aero Lab and the 3DEXPERIENCE Center in Hamburg and was intensified as part of the TUM Venture Labs at the Technical University of Munich.